THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all. Please be
seated. Well, thanks, Laura. I appreciate those
kind words, and I love you a lot.

I want to welcome you all to the White House. It's our
honor to entertain you all and to let you witness a piece of history
here. The bill I'm going to sign rests on the belief that
our strong nation is built on strong families. The
legislation reaffirms our country's commitment to helping children grow
up in secure and loving families by encouraging adoption; by helping
young adults make their way in life after they leave foster care; and
by expanding mentoring for children who have a mom and dad in prison.

I'm proud of the men and women of Congress who worked hard to make
this happen. This is a really good piece of
legislation. In this town, sometimes the really good pieces
of legislation aren't really recognized, because there hadn't been a
lot of fighting and hair-pulling and gnashing of teeth. But
this bill, sponsored by both Democrats and Republicans, is a
meaningful, real piece of legislation that's going to change people's
lives.

I want to thank Mike DeWine, and I want to thank Ben Cardin, and I
want to thank Deborah Price -- three of the bill's sponsors who have
come today -- for your hard work. I am sorry that Jay
Rockefeller of West Virginia, and Wally Herger of California, are not
here, as well. But the five names I just named are
responsible for getting this piece of legislation through the House and
the Senate and to my desk. And thank you
all. (Applause.)

The family is the foundation of this society. And here's
what I know. It's the place where we find deep human
fulfillment, and where we find love. It is where character
of our nation is shaped, and where values are
forged. Families provide us with comfort and encouragement,
compassion and hope, mutual support and unconditional
love. No family is perfect, but every family is important.

Promoting strong families was my firm commitment when I was the
governor of Texas, and promoting strong families remains a priority for
me as your President. We all know that children who are
surrounded by love have a strong foundation for success as
adults. When someone thinks a child is the most important
person in the world, that child will grow up to be confident in their
self, and loving toward others. She'll make her community
stronger, and her nation better.

The Promoting Safe and Stable Families Program has a great goal,
keeping families together whenever possible. It helps to
prevent the removal of children from their homes. And if
that must happen to protect a child's safety, it supports efforts to
correct the problem that broke the family apart, and reunite the family
safely and quickly.

It also supports adoption and post-adoptive services to place
children with loving families, to ease a child's transition into a new
family, and to help ensure that families stay strong and intact.

My budget next year will build on this good work, by requesting
$505 million in funding for promoting the Safe and Stable Families
Program, $130 million more than it receives this
year. (Applause.)

The bill I sign today also supports children who grew up in foster
homes by authorizing states to provide vouchers of up to $5,000 a year
for education and vocational training to teens who have aged out of the
foster care system. My budget next year will ask Congress
for $60 million to fully fund this program.

I'm especially pleased that this bill authorizes funds for a
crucial part of my armies of compassion initiative, mentoring children
whose parents are in prison. These children don't see their
parents every day, but, like all children, need help with homework,
someone to play catch with, someone to hug them. Countless
adults are willing to open their hearts to these children, and we
should do all we can to support their compassion. Government
cannot love a child, but it can support those who do -- parents and
family members and neighbors, and caring adults who have heard the
call.

We have some parents with us today who have heard the call, who
share their love with their children and are building strong families
through adoption. Derek and Cindy Baliles are police
officers in Montgomery County, Maryland, thank you all for
coming. They knew they had a lot of love to offer, and they
knew as soon as they met Taylor and Gerald -- better known as G-man --
(laughter) -- that the boys would make great additions to their
family. The boys obviously feel the same
way. Thanks to their hard work -- thanks to the hard work of
a county social worker, their adoption was finalized quickly, on the
same day as their mother's birthday.

Willie and Sybil Gray originally planned to adopt one little girl
who would become a sister to their son, Christopher. But an
adoption agency told them that Kenyetta and Katrina, two sisters who
needed a new home, needed to be adopted. The girls and their
new parents quickly bonded, and Willie and Sybil will finalize their
adoption in the next few months.

Adoptive parents like Willie and Sybil and Derek and Cindy give
their children the most precious gift possible -- their
love. Advocates for adoption, many of whom are in this room,
know that when you find a loving family, it makes a huge difference in
a child's life, and know that our national goal must be to find a
loving family for every child that needs one. (Applause.)

Sadly, a great American and a strong advocate for adoption and
stable families passed away this week. Dave Thomas was best
known as the founder of Wendy's Restaurants. But people who
devote their lives to helping children know that Dave Thomas shared
their commitment.

As a child who was adopted, Dave once said, I feel strongly that
all children deserve a secure and loving family. His own
family provided the foundation that allowed him and encouraged him to
become one of America's most successful entrepreneurs -- and one of
America's most familiar faces.

Dave's vision of America was one in which all children would be a
part of a loving family, so they could grow into healthy and happy and
successful adults. This bill that I'm fixing to sign will
bring us closer to his vision.

And now I'd like the members of the Congress and Secretary Thompson
to join me as I sign the Promoting Safe and Stable Families
legislation.